11. Bending the curve of personal and planetary health

First time I'm hosting a duo on the Re:planet podcast, wish me luck! Jody Boyman and Todd Boyman are the co-founders of Hungry Planet Foods. Apart from all the exciting stories they share with us, they pose a powerful question, one which I have been reflecting about ever since talking to them: "What kind of ancestors are we actively choosing to be, every single day?". That at least got my brain firing! Jody and Todd are siblings, on a mission to bend the curve on personal and planetary health. After having eaten plant-based foods for decades, they came to the understanding that in order to transform the food system, they had to create delectable plant-based meats to fit a modern lifestyle. So they set out on a mission to craft a wide range of proteins to feed our growing human family, regenerate our environment, enhance personal health, and increase animal well-being. Crucially, their products had to be a simple switch for conventional meat, while also delivering superior nutrition. After a decade of culinary R&D, they developed the most authentic and complete range of plant-based meats available in the world across all types of proteins. Hungry Planet is now in thousands of venues across the U.S., Australia and New Zealand including fine dining, fast casual, university, hospital, retail, grocery, and deli. In this episode we make a deep dive into their personal stories leading up to creating this highly purpose-driven brand, the rollercoaster journey of building a successful food tech company aiming at global reach, why soy as an ingredient might have the best shot at really bending the curve on personal and planetary health, the importance of easiness for people to change behaviour, advice for aspiring food tech founders, and on a personal level - how to positively raise our kids into the next generation of more responsible and mindful world citizens.